As to those who
deserted you, they may call upon me for their wages, but they'll get no
more."

He seemed overwhelmed, and indeed his astonishment surprised me, for I
had imagined my intentions with regard to the yacht were well known to
him. I cut short the worthy fellow's thanks by assuring him that my
gratitude for his services at Boulogne and for his behaviour throughout
the whole delicate business was not to be expressed by five times the
amount that lay upon the table; and then telling him to let me hear of
him when Miss Bellassys and I were married and settled, and promising,
should I ever go yachting again, to offer him the command of my vessel,
I wrung his hand and ran out, pursued by twenty "God bless ye, sirs."

Grace and I returned to ---- somewhere about four o'clock, having
lunched at Penzance. We alighted at the vicarage and entered the
fragrant little dining-room. My cousin and his wife were sitting
waiting for us. Sophie, on our entrance, started up and cried: "Grace,
here is a letter for you. I believe it is from your aunt."

My darling turned white, and I was sensible of growing very nearly as
pale as she. Her hand trembled as she took the letter; she eyed me
piteously, seemed to make an effort to break the envelope, then
extending it to me said, "I dare not read it."

I instantly tore it open, read it to myself once, then aloud:

"_Lady Amelia Roscoe begs to inform her niece that she washes her hands
of her. She wishes never to see nor to hear of her again. So far as
Lady Amelia Roscoe's consent goes, her niece is at liberty to do what
she likes and go where she likes. Any further communication which Lady
Amelia's niece may require to make must be addressed to her ladyship's
solicitors, Messrs. Fox & Wyndall, Lincoln's Inn Fields._"

"Thank Heaven!" I exclaimed, drawing the deepest breath I had ever
fetched in my life.

"Now, Herbert, I am at your service," exclaimed Frank.

Grace was crying, and Sophie, giving her husband and me a reassuring
look, with sisterly gentleness took my darling's arm, and led her out
of the room.

* * * * *

Needless to say that in due course we were married, or rather let me
say, re-married. But this said, the brief incident I have endeavoured
to relate--the story of the elopement--ends. Down to this present
moment of writing, however, I have been unable to find out whether I
was or whether I was not legitimately, valid